Turned on my TV this morning to watch the opening day of the NBA season, what a joy. No fake injuries, no load management, fans paying to see stars are getting their money’s worth. Too bad they need 5 months of preseason to get to this. The next 3 months will be lots of fun.
@Pikes Peak posted:Turned on my TV this morning to watch the opening day of the NBA season, what a joy. No fake injuries, no load management, fans paying to see stars are getting their money’s worth. Too bad they need 5 months of preseason to get to this. The next 3 months will be lots of fun.
Totally agree on this. The Bucks were a 50 win team and quite frankly, I felt like 75% of their games were borderline unwatchable despite the impressive record. Unfortunately they learned the hard way in 2019 when they really went balls to the wall in nearly every regular season game only to wilt with no energy by the time they had the chance to beat the Raptors for the conference championship.
These last 2 seasons they’ve paced themselves a lot more, it takes some of the fun out of regular season games, but winning the Championship last year shows that maybe it’s a more effective strategy to not care as much about regular season games. They’ve sacrificed better regular season records to hopefully play their best come playoff time.
@Tschmack posted:Wolves were impressive
As was Philly…I expected GS to be better with Curry back and they were.
@fightphoe93 posted:Totally agree on this. The Bucks were a 50 win team and quite frankly, I felt like 75% of their games were borderline unwatchable despite the impressive record. Unfortunately they learned the hard way in 2019 when they really went balls to the wall in nearly every regular season game only to wilt with no energy by the time they had the chance to beat the Raptors for the conference championship.
These last 2 seasons they’ve paced themselves a lot more, it takes some of the fun out of regular season games, but winning the Championship last year shows that maybe it’s a more effective strategy to not care as much about regular season games. They’ve sacrificed better regular season records to hopefully play their best come playoff time.
I believe that pacing sometimes applied to playoff games. Look at their awful performances in game one of every playoff series.
Derozan getting the MJ treatment. Some terrible calls on the Bucks in this game. Let them play already.
@Tschmack posted:Derozan getting the MJ treatment. Some terrible calls on the Bucks in this game. Let them play already.
Bulls have twice as many FT attempts. The officials and Middleton's poor half are keeping this close.
Up 8 at the half. Bucks can't play much worse on offense.
Giannis 2 for 6 from the line.
Middleton, Holiday, Connaughton, and Allen have a combined 5 for 22 and 1 for 11 from three for 11 points.
The Bucks sneeze on a Bulls player and it’s a foul. Numerous drives to the hoop by Giannis and Lopez and bodied or hacked and no call.
Middleton trying to drive and dish is tough to watch.
Giannis now 3 for 8 from the line. Playoff Giannis at the line shows up again.
Bulls within 3.
Danger time here. Bucks lead back down to 5 with Giannis sitting out and Holiday with a turnover out of the timeout.
Bucks really struggling on offense.
Bucks down 5.
Maybe blowing off the last week of the season was questionable.
The Bucks haven't scored in the 4 minutes since Giannis went to the bench 13-0 Bulls run without him.
@Goalline posted:Bucks in game one. LOL
After not bothering to try to win several of the last few games of the year.
@MichiganPacker posted:After not bothering to try to win several of the last few games of the year.
It takes them a game to calibrate their intensity after some time off. Except Giannis. Giannis always goes at 400 miles an hour.
Bucks, with an answer, reclaim the lead as the 3rd Quarter ends!
And then a 10-2 Bucks run when Giannis comes back in.
Sometimes +/- numbers can be misleading, but tonight they are spot on.
The Bucks are +18 in Giannis' 27 minutes.
They are -15 in the 9 minutes he sits.
Allen misses both Giannis and Middleton on a breakaway. Turnover.
Bobby Portis misses 4 open shots to open the quarter. At least he'll get 2 FTs.
The officiating has been ridiculous. Caruso gets a call against Giannis. It's his 4th.
Giannis picks up his 5th. Caruso undercuts Giannis and gets 2 calls in a row.
Holiday, Middleton, and Connaughton are 2 for 16 from three.